Failure to Provide Private Telephone Access for Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that residents on the locked unit had the opportunity to make and receive phone calls without being overheard, as required by their own policy. Residents who did not possess their own phones were required to use the telephone located in the nurses' office, where privacy could not be guaranteed. Staff were typically present in the office during resident calls, and the phone's location and short cord length further limited privacy. Residents reported that staff rarely offered privacy, and even when requested, staff would leave the door ajar to monitor the resident, allowing conversations to be overheard in the hallway. Multiple residents on the locked unit, including individuals with schizoaffective disorder, ADHD, and autistic disorder, expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of privacy during phone calls. These residents indicated that they would prefer to have private conversations but were not provided with a means to do so. The facility previously had a portable phone that allowed residents to make private calls, but this was discontinued about a year prior when a new phone system was installed. Since then, no alternative arrangements for private phone access had been made for residents without personal phones. Staff interviews confirmed that the only phone available for resident use was in the nurses' office and that staff presence was standard unless privacy was specifically requested. Even then, privacy was limited due to the need to keep the door ajar for supervision. There were also informal restrictions on when residents could use the phone, depending on staff availability, and some staff imposed time limits on calls. The facility's administration and nursing leadership acknowledged these practices and the absence of a portable phone, but no clarification or alternative had been provided to ensure residents' right to private communication.